Soon-to-be famous Portuguese mad scientist, Rui Pereira, has created the ultimate instrument for the Guitar Hero generation.

"This is a musical instrument for people who don’t know shit about music," Pereira said.

In practical terms, that means it has no frets, no knobs, no reeds, or anything else associated with instruments. It’s just a long plastic tube with sensors for picking up finger pressure that can pretend to be a guitar, drums, or a stand-up base. Switching instruments is as easy as changing the orientation of the TUIST (Transformable Uber Interface for STardom). For example, stand it up straight and it becomes a stand-up bass.

Pereira said his thesis project solves a long-standing problem with Guitar Hero and Rock Band: no matter how loud your real or virtual fans cheer you, fundamentally you haven’t created anything, you’ve just perfectly replicated the required sequence of button mashes.

The TUIST actually allows "creative output," and even has a built-in loop controller for recording your guitar-like noisemaking.

Pereira added that feature because he figures his target market–those who don’t know shit about music–won’t be good enough to find bandmates, so they better be able to play alone. Which might not be such a bad idea, given that the New York Times Magazine recently declared "the return of the one-man band."

And now for what you’ve been waiting for, Pereira, hot meme of the near future, jamming with his "multi-mode musical interface for super-star wannabes incapable of playing musical instruments":